The Chosen Guest
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Published by: Laura Drake
Release Date: 10/06/2026
Pages: 228
ISBN13: 979-8-9961344-1-0
Synopsis
Mari Koval is a freak. At 6’5” and built big, that’s how she sees herself. After years of being bullied in school, she lets no one close. People only know the mask she hides behind. Mari has a dream—starting a bold clothing line for women who can’t shop off the rack. That, and to have the guts to wear her own designs.
It’s winter-dismal in Chicago when Mari sees a website for Temptation Cove, an exclusive singles-only resort on a small island in the Caribbean. They’re running a sweepstakes, and the prize is a week-long vacation, free of charge. Despite an invasive questionnaire and the fact that the island has no cell or internet service, Mari enters.
And wins.
The island is beautiful, and Mari’s confidence soars when her daring clothes bring more male attention than she’s ever had. But something is off. Details don’t jibe with memories of her nightly trysts. She and another contestant investigate and discover a string of past winners have died on the island. Then they stumble on a dangerous secret—they weren’t lucky, they were specifically chosen. To survive, Mari is going to have to rip off her mask and use every bit of strength she didn’t know she had.
Her dream vacation has become a nightmare, and the resort’s tagline a threat:
What happens on Escondida Island always stays here.
If you liked Sager’s Lock Every Door and Ware’s One Perfect Couple, you should love The Chosen Guest!
Prologue
December 2020
I’m petite. Tiny, even. My mom always said the biggest part of me was my mouth, and if I didn’t learn to shut up, it would end badly for me.
Another wave washes over my face, and I come up sputtering. I push down the panic that rises with the bile in the back of my throat, then lie back, trying to kick slow and easy. I’ve made good money as a foot model, but I’d gladly trade for Michael Phelps-sized ones right now. They say your strength will last longer if you relax, but that became impossible an hour ago, when my teeth started chattering. The Caribbean is warm, but not when you've been in it for three hours wearing nothing but a bikini.
I look up at the blue sky full of puffy white clouds. Who knew so much could go wrong in such an idyllic place? Turns out, a lot.
Where the hell is that island? On the map, it seemed only five miles from the resort but—UGH! A cramp locks my left calf in a vise. I lean forward, put my face in the waves, and knead the muscle. Again. I need water. I need electrolytes. I need rest.
And I’m not getting any of those till I make that island.
Kicking hard, I scan the horizon. Dammit, where is it? It’s too close to the resort, but if I can get there, I’ll rest up and figure out the next step.
If only I’d just played like I didn’t know what was going on for two more days, I would have flown home and told my story to the cops, and those bastards would be paying right now.
But I was so shocked. So outraged. So pissed.
Lie back…try to relax…kick. That’s all you have to do. You’re getting closer.
A massive cramp hits my gut. I double over, my legs useless. God, I don’t want to die!
I look up. The blue sky turns darker, then disappears. Bubbles dance up to the sunlight.
I’m sorry, Mom. You were right.